Francis T. Purcell

{{Infobox officeholder

|name=Francis T. Purcell

|image=

|office1=County Executive of Nassau County

|predecessor1=Ralph G. Caso

|successor1= Thomas Gulotta

|term_start1=January 6, 1978

|term_end1=January 16, 1987

|party=Republican

|spouse=Barbara Purcell

|birth_date={{Birth date|1918|8|11|mf=y}}

|birth_place=Brooklyn, New York, U.S.

|death_date={{Death date and age|mf=yes|2014|5|18|1918|8|11}}

|death_place={{nowrap|West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S.}}

}}

Francis Thomas Purcell (August 11, 1918 – May 18, 2014) was an American Republican politician who was county executive of Nassau County, New York (1978–87). He served as a trustee and also as mayor of the village of Malverne, was a member of the New York State Assembly, and supervisor of the town of Hempstead, New York, before becoming county executive in 1978. After resigning in 1987, Purcell became a political commentator for Cablevision's news channel News 12 Long Island. In 2004, a section of land formerly called Hempstead Plains was dedicated to Purcell in honor of his service and dedication to Nassau County.

Early life

Purcell was born in 1918{{cite news|title=65 Acres at Mitchel Field Preserve parcel dedicated to Purcell |newspaper=Newsday|date=2004-08-12|author=Mummolo, Jonathan}} to Thomas (d. 1942) and Annette (d. 1972) Purcell {{cite news |title=Mrs. Thomas Purcell|date=1972-02-01|newspaper=The New York Times|page=40}} on 11 August 1918 in Brooklyn, New York.{{cite news|title=Purcell: 'I Like a Good Fight'|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1977/03/20/archives/westchester-opinion-purcell-i-like-a-good-fight-its-campaign-no-15.html|author=Goldman, Ari L.|newspaper=The New York Times|date=1977-03-20|accessdate=2009-11-24|page=394}} A star athlete at Malverne High School, he was signed to play baseball with the Brooklyn Dodgers but never played for them because he joined the army in 1941 and was discharged in 1945 with the rank of captain.

Career

Purcell was elected mayor of Malverne in 1955. In June 1964, he challenged the party designee in the Republican Party primary for Nassau's 1st district's seat in the New York State Assembly and won the nomination.{{cite news|title=An Insurgent Republican Wins Assembly Contest in Nassau|author=Silver, Roy E.|date=1964-06-03|accessdate=2009-11-24|newspaper=The New York Times|page=31|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1964/06/03/archives/an-insurgent-republican-wins-assembly-contest-in-nassau.html}} He was a member of the State Assembly in 1965. On June 18, he was appointed as supervisor of the town of Hempstead, to fill the vacancy created by the appointment of Ralph G. Caso as presiding supervisor.[https://www.nytimes.com/1965/06/19/archives/nassau-republicans-surprised-as-farrington-decides-to-quit.html Nassau Republicans Surprised As Farrington Decides to Quit] in The New York Times on June 19, 1965 (subscription required) Purcell was elected to the position in November 1965, and then reelected twice.{{cite news|title=Purcell Says He Will Leave Post in Nassau|date=1986-12-02|newspaper=The New York Times|page=B1}}

He was elected to the post of county executive of Nassau County in 1977. He secured the nomination of the Republican Party over fellow Republican and incumbent county executive Ralph G. Caso, who also opposed Purcell in the general election. He took office in January 1978.{{cite news|title=Purcell Leads G.O.P. in Nassau, Taking County Executive's Post|author=Silver, Roy R.|date=1977-11-09|newspaper=The New York Times|page=32}}{{cite news|title=Purcell Installed in Nassau|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1978/01/08/archives/purcell-installed-in-nassau.html|date=1978-01-08|newspaper=The New York Times|page=18|access-date=September 29, 2023}} In the late 1970s and '80s, Purcell promoted the development of downtown Nassau County businesses, and oversaw the transformation of Mitchel field, a former air base, into a recreational and educational center.{{Cite web|last=Martin|first=Douglas|date=2014-05-24|title=Francis T. Purcell, Three-Term Nassau County Executive, Dies at 95|website=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/25/nyregion/francis-t-purcell-three-term-nassau-county-executive-dies-at-95.html}}

Purcell easily won reelection in 1981{{cite news |title=Purcell Wins by Landslide in Nassau Election|author=McQuiston, John T. |date=1981-11-04 |accessdate=2009-11-24 |page=B6 |work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/11/04/nyregion/purcell-wins-by-landslide-in-nassau-election.html}} and 1985.{{cite news|title=Major Incumbents Win On L.I. and in Rockland|date=1985-11-07|newspaper=The New York Times|page=B8}} In December 1986, near the end of the first year of his third term, he announced his retirement from politics and his intention to join Cablevision as a political analyst and commentator.{{cite news|title=Purcell to Become A Cable TV Analyst|date=1986-12-03|newspaper=The New York Times|page=B4}}

Personal

Purcell had 3 children, Patricia, Kim, and Diane, seven grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren. He resided in West Palm Beach, Florida with his wife Barbara, where he died on May 18, 2014, aged 95.[http://www.newsday.com/long-island/obituaries/francis-purcell-former-nassau-county-executive-dead-at-95-1.8060217 Notice of death of Francis Purcell], newsday.com; accessed May 19, 2014.

References

{{succession box | title = New York State Assembly
Nassau County, 1st District | before = Anthony Barbiero | years = 1965 | after = district abolished}}

{{succession box | before = Ralph G. Caso | title = County Executive of Naasau County, New York | after = Thomas Gulotta | years = 1978–1987}}

Category:1918 births

Category:2014 deaths

Category:Mayors of places in New York (state)

Category:Nassau County executives

Category:Town supervisors in New York (state)

Category:Republican Party members of the New York State Assembly

Category:Politicians from Brooklyn

Category:People from Malverne, New York

Category:Politicians from West Palm Beach, Florida

Category:Malverne High School alumni

Category:20th-century members of the New York State Legislature